Unexpected
by Ashi Ruby
Summary: He didn't know that she was going to become Sasuke's toy. Nor would he eventually develop feelings for her. These things happened unexpectally when Kabuto is sent to capture Sakura Haruno. But now how will it turn out? My first KabuSaku fic! Please R
1. An Undetailed Mission

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Author's Note: This is my first KabuSaku fic. I don't know why, but I wanted to make one. Hope it's good!

I decided to make this chapter have some humor in it. I hope it amuses you (it amused me a lot!)

Unexpected

Chapter 1: An Undetailed Mission

"Kabuto-san, Lord Orochimaru requests your presence," a maid said as she knocked on the door. The silver-haired man on the other side sighed, closing his book that he was just getting into. "I'm on my way. Thank you," he muttered and the maid departed. He sat the book on his nightstand, brushing a hand through his hair, which was currently down, then stood up and left the room.

He entered Orochimaru's room, glad that he was somewhat decent this time (he didn't want to remember what happened the last time; just the thought made his skin crawl a little bit). "Ah, there you are Kabuto. I have an assignment for you."

"What is it this time, Lord Orochimaru?" he asked, hoping it wasn't like the last mission he was sent on (which was about as bad as the last time he saw him, making his skin crawl again). "I need you to go to Konoha. You need to bring a certain female here, by a request."

"Who?"

"I believe you know her. That pink-haired girl, Sakura Haruno."

Kabuto remembered her. She was the only person he's ever met with pink hair. At the time when they met, she was a very clingy girl, always attached to Sasuke Uchiha, and she was quite weaker. However, over the past five years, her reputation as a powerful kunoichi and excellent medic-nin, some even saying she was better than the Sannin Tsunade, has spread to ears far and wide. He was curious about her after first hearing about it, but never went to explore further. Then again, he wasn't exactly on Konoha's list of most popular ninja.

"And who made this request? I'll guess that it was Sasuke."

"Yes. However, the reasonings is none of our concern, according to him. I'll respect it," he said with a wicked grin, which meant something perverted probably went through the snake Sannin's brain. Ignoring it, Kabuto bowed and left, glad to be gone before Orochimaru began to tell him what he was thinking.

As he walked down to his room, he passed by the Uchiha. "So you requested a female companion? Can't stand Lord Orochimaru wanting to be alone with you all the time, huh?" he asked. Sasuke glared at him, "It's not of your concern as to why I want her. Just bring her back here." He continued to walk away as Kabuto stopped. He hid his bit of anger in his clenched fist, then turned down the hall to his room. Once inside, he tied back his hair and put on his headband, then grabbed a bag with some supplies in it.

He exited his room, locked it to make sure no one went inside, then began to trek down the hallway to leave and start his supposed mission.

* * *

_In Konoha..._

"Gah, you two! Stop trying to kill each other!" Sakura yelled at the two boys, acting like complete idiots, while her friend Hinata Hyuuga stood next to her letting out a nervous sigh.

The boys weren't trying to kill each other, as Sakura said, but rather it was a game of chase. The victim of the chase was no other than Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata's boyfriend without complete approval, while his chaser was her cousin Neji. Neji was walking by Ichiraku, where Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata were having lunch, and saw that Hinata was crying and Naruto's hand was on her cheek. As it turned out, something got into Hinata's eyes and Naruto tried to help get it out. However, to him...well, it didn't look like such an innocent matter.

Which led to the chase: Neji trying to kill Naruto for "hurting" Hinata while Naruto tried to explain what happened (with little luck). Sakura let out a sigh before making some hand signals and did a light punch to the ground, enough to throw the boys off balance without doing a lot of damage to the landscape.

"Okay, boys, knock it off! Neji, Naruto didn't do anything. Hinata got something in her eyes, and Naruto tried to help get it out. So stop with the chasing already," she said, brushing a stray pinch of hair from her face, "Jeez...they've been going out for almost a year now, and you STILL can't trust him?" She turned away, paid for her ramen, then started to walk away, going back home to read a book or do something that didn't deal with being crazy. "Bye Hinata-chan. I'll leave you to deal with these two, now that I'm done," she said with a smile to the Hyuuga heir.

Once at home, which she now shared with her best friend Ino after the death of Sakura's parents, she crashed on her couch, folding her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling. She knew Ino wasn't going to be home for a few hours; she was out on a date with her boyfriend Shikamaru. She let out a sigh, _'They are so lucky to have someone they love and love back. It reminds me of my old dreams of how I wanted to be with Sasuke-kun. I don't want him, but I do want someone in those dreams. But...so far, no one's in that place.'_

The wind blew through, blowing a piece of her hair in her face. She sat up and looked toward the only window in the room; it was open. "Strange...I don't remember opening it today. Hmm, maybe Ino did before she left," she mumbled, stretching up her arms, _'Meh, I won't find it. The breeze actually feels good.'_

Suddenly she stood up, feeling an unfamiliar chakra around her. "Who's there?" she called out, her hand positioned to grab a kunai from the pouch hanging on her belt. Then she felt someone wrap an arm around her waist, pinning one arm to her side, and pulling her other arm behind her head. She caught the faint glimpse of silver brush past her eyesight and a brush of breath against her ear.

"Hello, Sakura-san. It's been awhile."

Sakura hissed, "Kabuto. What are you doing here?" He turned her around so she face him eye-to-eye, her arms pinned behind her so she couldn't move them. "Can't I see an old friend? I heard that you have become a very well-known kunoichi," he said with a smirk on his face. She glared at him, struggling to try and get away from his grasp. "When have we ever been friends? After what happened during the Chunnin exams, I started to hate you immensely. Now tell me. Why the hell are you here?" she spat out, her anger starting to rise. She really wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.

"Fiesty, aren't we? You are far different from when you were back then. You're not as clingy as you were. Tell me, do you still care about that Uchiha?"

"What concern is it of yours? Let me go, you bastard!"

"It was just a simple question, Sakura-san. If you cared about him, this would be a lot easier," he said, loosening one of his hands on her wrists but tightened the other. He brought the free hand to her cheek, almost smiling at the tinge of blush that she was trying to force away. "Don't you want to see him? I know he wants to see you, since he's the one that sent me to this blasted place," he said, onyx eyes staring hard into her green orbs.

"Why...why would he want to see me? He cut his bonds to us years ago when he went to stay the pedophile man you call your lord," she said, surprised that Kabuto didn't slap her for her comment. "I really don't know, nor do I care. I was told to get you. That was all," he said honestly, and for some odd reason, she actually believed him. However, she still stayed suspicious.

"I'm sure you want to see him as much as he wants to see you."

"What makes you think that? You said it yourself, I'm not the same girl I was five years ago."

"He's your former crush and teammate. Why else?" he retorted, letting her go, "Are you going to come willingly, or by force? Either way, you're going." Sakura moved away, silent as to contemplate things.

_'I have been wanting to see him. I've always wondered how he was doing. I mean, I'm sure he is. He's an Uchiha. But with a pedophile like Orochimaru, one can't know for sure. But...I guess this will be a good time than never to see him, as if I'll ever have another opportunity,'_ she thought, looking up at the waiting man. "I might. But first, I need to discuss something with you," she said, swearing that she heard him groan. Ignoring it, she pressed on.

"You have to give me time to arrange things so that I don't have people chasing after me. I rather not see anyone get hurt for being considered an intruder. And since it seems that Sasuke only wants to see me (which I still don't understand why), I don't want to get anyone else involved. I'll just say I'm taking a trip to clear my brain or something like that."

"Fine. But this is something I need to discuss with you. I don't know how long you'll be gone. As I said, I have no ideas about why or what or anything like that. You'll have to find out for yourself as things go along. But I will escort you back to the village whenever things end."

Sakura thought about this, not exactly thinking of that before. After what seemed to be hours of silence, she looked at him square in the eye and parted her lips to speak.

"All right. I'll go."


	2. A Vacation, But A Good Decision?

Author's Note: Well...I'm bored, so I decided to update quickly. But hey, that can be a good thing!

Chapter 2: A Vacation, But A Good Decision?

"I'll be back in probably a half-hour or so. I guess just hide here. Ino won't be coming back for awhile, so it should be safe," Sakura said as she pulled on her sandals and grabbing her key from the table next to the couch.

Kabuto shrugged and sat down, watching as she closed the window and covered it with the curtain as an extra precaution. She then walked out the door, closing and locking it as she did. He let out a sigh; he was surprisingly bored. _'At least she's coming willingly. That was a good thing. I really didn't want to force her into it. She may believe I'm heartless because I work with Lord Orochimaru, but I'm not as bad as she thinks,'_ he thought, letting his eyes roam around, _'At least I don't have creepy thoughts running through my mind all the time.'_

He took in all the sights of the small room. More importantly, the shelf with of photos that hung above the television. One was of Sakura with who he guessed was her parents, while the one next to it was of her and Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba. The next was taken at some sort of festival, he guessed, judging by the fancy kimono and yukata she, Naruto, Ino, and Hinata were donning. The last picture, however, caught his attention most of all.

It was of Team 7 when they were genin, with their sensei Kakashi standing beside him. That was the last time he saw them together, when they were genin getting ready for the Chunnin exams. Compared to now, they looked like little children. He actually chuckled at the image of Sakura sticking out her tongue. _'Now look at her. She could actually kill someone and still look innocent doing it,'_ he thought, actually shuddering at it,

* * *

_At the Hokage's office..._

"A vacation? This is such a random request, Sakura. Is there something wrong?"

Sakura shook her head, "No, nothing's wrong Tsunade-sama! I'm just tired, that's all, and I need a break. I mean, for the last two weeks, I have been working double, and once a triple, shifts. I think that kinda qualifies me to take some time off." Tsunade chuckled slightly at that, "Well, I suppose so. How long are you going to be away? Or do you not know?"

"I really don't. I wouldn't mind doing some outside training as well. After I get some much needed rest, of course."

"I see. Well, I do hope you enjoy yourself. I'll make arrangements with the hospital staff to cover your shifts and such. I'm sure they will agree as well. But I hope you come back soon. It's going to be awfully dull around here."

"Haha...thank you Tsunade-sama."

"Of course. Oh, and I'll have someone keep an eye on Naruto and Neji. Just in case," she added with a wink, making both women laugh.

As she left the office, Sakura let out a sigh,

* * *

Sakura unlocked the door and entered the apartment, noticing firstly that Kabuto wasn't around. "Hmm...meh, probably in the bathroom or whatever," she muttered, closing the door and dropping the key on the table again. She headed to her bedroom to pack a few things; she wasn't going to need much, more than likely, outside of some clothes, girly items, and something to do whenever she was bored. _'I know I'm going to be gone for awhile, so might as well. I wish I knew what Sasuke was up to. It would be a whole lot easier on my brain if I knew,'_ she thought as she opened the door.

It didn't register to her that she never closed the door to her room unless need be. And that's when Kabuto appeared, grabbing her around the waist and giving her a shock to her system. She let out a loud gasp once she let things clear up. "Kabuto-san, what the hell was that for?" she yelled as she broke away from his grasp.

"I was bored."

"So you decided to scare the crap out of me for amusement?"

"Yep."

She sighed, "How childish of you." She walked over to the closet and pulled out a bag. "Oh, you hurt me, Sakura-san. How cruel you've become," he said sarcastically, a smirk stretched on his face. She ignored him as she went to her dresser and pulled out a few items, then to her closet to pull out four different tops and bottoms.

"Do you know approximately how long I'm going to be in Sound?"

"Not a clue. You know just as much information as I do."

"Great."

She left the room and came back shortly afterward, her arms full of different girly items. He looked away as she placed them in her bag, under the clothes she already packed. Finally, she grabbed two books and a bag of what looked like items for drawing or writing (probably both, Kabuto could only observe) and placed them in there. She zipped it up and went into the kitchen, Kabuto following.

"Pack enough?"

"Only what I feel I need. I'm sure everything else is provided."

"Probably, depends on what you mean by "everything else.""

Sakura only chuckled as she grabbed a few small things from her cabinet and two bottles of water. She placed the food in the bag and placed the water bottles in the side pouches. "So we got something to drink and snack on on our trip," she explained. Finally, she grabbed her key and placed it in her kunai pouch for whenever she was coming back. She knew they were going to go out the window; less likely to get caught that way, she guessed.

"We're going to have to conceal our chakra if we're going to get out of here unnoticed," Kabuto said as they climbed out the window in the empty alleyway that was outside. "Duh, I know that," she muttered, working on that idea.

At last, they did manage their way to leave and left without problem. "Okay...well, you lead the way," Sakura said, motioning to him to go. And they left, Sakura unsure of when she was coming back and Kabuto unsure of what was to happen next.


	3. Sasuke's True Plan Revealed

Author's Note: I can't help but update this quickly! The thoughts are just running through my mind as soon as I finish a chapter, and I'm so bored so I want to write. But hey, after this is done, I have many more ideas for fics, so enjoy!

Chapter 3: Sasuke's True Plan Revealed

"This is Sound. We'll get in through a secret entrance so no one notices you coming in. No one else knows about the mission just yet, so better safe than sorry," Kabuto said, the two of them stopping in a tree to rest. "I see," she muttered, shifting the bag that rested on one shoulder to the other. Kabuto looked at her, then began to move, Sakura following.

Once inside the compound, Kabuto led her to his room, where he guessed she would stay because his room was much larger than Sasuke's. He unlocked the door and led her inside, allowing her time to drop her bag on the bed. "We might have to share the bed, if I can't get one brought in here. Sorry, but there are no other spare rooms for you," he said. Sakura wasn't comfortable with this, but she didn't show it. "All right...I guess if that must happen, then it will," she said, stretching out her stressed arms as she spoke. "Well, if you're ready, we'll go see Lord Orochimaru and let him know we're back. I'm sure he'll call Sasuke in soon after that," he said.

"Great. I get to meet the boy-crazy pervert in true format."

"Hn. I'd refrain from saying those things in front of him."

"Duh. Why do you think I'm only saying them around you?" she asked, a smirk, a cute one at that, playing her lips.

* * *

"So we meet again, cherry blossom," Orochimaru said, a wicked grin on his face as his snake eyes stared into Sakura's green ones. She didn't say anything, so Kabuto instead spoke for her. "She came willingly, my lord. But she insists on seeing Sasuke soon," he said, which she slowly nodded to. Inside, she was actually a little fearful. _'I haven't seen him in so long. I'm a little nervous, even though I shouldn't be,'_ she thought. However, a voice broke her thoughts as quickly as she found herself lost in them.

"Hello, Sakura. It's been awhile."

She quickly turned around to the doorway, seeing Sasuke standing there, slightly leaned against the frame. His hair was still the same, spiked in the back with some lightly in his eyes. He was wearing an outfit kinda like Orochimaru's, just it was open to show off his chest (which inwardly she found to be extremely sexy), and a large purple bow held the shirt and pants together around his waist.

"Sasuke..."

"No suffix?"

"Well...it's been so long...I guess I outgrew saying it," she muttered, looking away with a small blush on her cheeks. He sent a glare to Kabuto, telling him to move away from her as he approached, lifting her chin with a delicate hand. "Don't look away, Sakura. I've missed seeing those eyes of yours," he said. She lightly smiled, allowing herself to embrace him in a hug. It wasn't returned, but at least she was allowed to do it.

Inside, however, Kabuto held some suspicion. Sasuke _NEVER_ acted like this. He was cold and uncaring, not wanting to do anything else but sleep, train, eat, and dream of killing his brother. _'He's outright emo, yet he's acting like a prince towards Sakura. Something doesn't seem right to me,'_ he thought, watching as Sakura let go.

"There's no other rooms in the place that are free, so Sakura will have to stay in Kabuto's room, as it is the largest. Sorry Sasuke-kun, but your room isn't big enough for two people," Orochimaru said, still with a smile. Kabuto shuddered, not knowing why he was so happy about it but knowing he didn't want to know. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, then looked down at the pink-haired girl, a good half-foot taller than her now. "We'll talk again soon. Right now, I need to do some training. This'll give you time to settle in," he said, his lips forming a fake smirk. To Sakura, it was real, so she smiled and nodded. The three of them left the room, Sakura going down the hallway she and Kabuto came from, on her way towards the bedroom. Kabuto went to follow, but he was quickly stopped by an arm on his shoulder.

"Don't touch her. She is _mine_," Sasuke told him lowly, a growl in his throat. "Yours? As far as I know, she just wants to see you, and nothing more. She holds no feelings for you outside of normalcy," Kabuto retorted. He could feel a death glare from the Uchiha without even looking back to see it for himself.

"I don't care. She will be mine. I will take her, and she will become mine alone. Don't touch her, or I will kill you."

With that said, Sasuke let him go and turned away down the other part of the hallway. Kabuto stood there and stared at his retreating figure. He knew what those words meant. In the book he was reading before he was called to bring back Sakura, one of the characters said words similar to that.

Right before he raped the person that he was speaking of.

'Don't tell me...that little bastard. He's actually thinking of forcing himself on her,' he thought, running down the hall after him. "Sasuke! What the hell do you have planned?" he asked in a shout once he was within his earshot.

Sasuke stopped, not turning towards the fuming Kabuto. "She's going to help revive my clan. Nothing more," he said.

"And what if she refuses?"

"She has no choice."

"And if she doesn't get pregnant?"

"I don't care what happens to her if she doesn't. She's going to help, like it or not."

He didn't say more as he walked on. Kabuto was furious at this point; the Uchiha actually planned on making her pregnant so that he could revive the clan. And by force, if necessary.

_'That bastard...if I knew that, I wouldn't have brought her here. And now...I won't be able to get her out for awhile. Not without coming up with some way to get her out unnoticed and make it seem like a complete accident. Great...now what the hell am I going to do?'_

He turned back around down the hall, back to his, well now their, room. Sakura had an amazing sense of direction and memory as she found it and was already inside. "I borrowed a drawer for my things; I hope you don't mind, Kabuto-san. I didn't really touch anything. I just moved a few things of clothes from it and put it in another drawer," she said, pointing to the last drawer on the 4-drawer dresser. He shook his head, not minding at all really. He closed the door, removed his headband and placed it on the nightstand next to the book he rested there before he left. He brushed back the hair that hung in his face and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I talked to Sasuke...Sakura-san, I think you need to know this."

"What? What did he say?"

"I think...I know why he called you here. And it's not for a good reason."

She sat down next to him, a puzzled look on her face. "What do you mean? Is something wrong?" Kabuto sighed, unsure of how to say this without making her freak out or slap him. _'Just come out and say it. Sakura-san, Sasuke wants to make you carry his child, even if he has to rape you to do it. Yeah...that sounds great,'_ he thought with sarcasm.

"Sakura-san...Sasuke wants you to be his."

"Wha...what?"

"But not in the way you want him. He wants you to carry his child, to revive the clan."

Sakura smiled, "That's great! I never imagined him wanting me for that!" Kabuto shook his head, "No...not like that. Sakura-san, he wants you carry his child. He doesn't love you; he just wants that. And if you don't agree willingly, he'll force you into it," he said.

Sakura looked at him, thinking he was joking just to scare her like he did back in Konoha, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't.

"You're...you're not kidding, are you?"

"No. I wouldn't joke about something like this. You may think I'm heartless, Sakura-san, but I'm far from it."

Sakura looked away and buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe it...I really thought...I thought that he liked me and actually wanted me," she mumbled, her shoulders shaking and her voice cracking. All Kabuto could do was stare at her as she sobbed, the guilt of the situation crashing on him. _'If I knew, I wouldn't have brought her here,'_ he thought, resting a hand on her head, his fingers lightly burying themselves into her hair.

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't know, Kabuto-san. But...now I'm stuck here."

"No," he told her, "I'll find a way to get you out of here without notice or worry. It'll take me a bit, but I'll stall for time. I promise you that, Sakura-san." She looked up at him, her eyes spilling tears that marred her cheeks. "Th-thank you, Kabuto-san," she whispered.

"Let's just drop the honorifics. All right, Sakura?"

"All right, Kabuto."


	4. Stalling For Time! Hope It Works!

Author's Note: Yes, another chapter. I'm so bored and have such a thirst for writing!

Chapter 4: Stalling For Time! Hope It Works!

"Well, for now, I can probably buy you three days of time. Tomorrow we'll say you caught a cold, a very bad one, and that you are on bed rest. I'll be the only one to visit you, since I'm a medic-nin and can act as a doctor. And if Sasuke tries to get in, I'll tell him to back off," Kabuto said, pulling off his sandals and placing on instead a pair of socks, "You may want to wear a pair yourself. This floor can get very cold at night."

Sakura took his advice, borrowing a pair as she didn't bring a pair for herself. He didn't mind actually; he had plenty. He took the sandals and placed them by the door. "I'm going to see about getting you a bed. I have a spare blanket in that chest in the closet, and you can borrow one of my pillows," he said, leaving the room after receiving a nod. Before he closed the door, he popped his head back in. "You might want to get some rest. You must be tired from the trip," he said, winking at her. She was a little confused and was about to ask, but then he disappeared and closed the door.

She yawned; she did have to admit she was a little tired. The night before she didn't get much sleep, thanks to a double shift at the hospital. Stretching herself onto the bed, she covered up and snuggled into them, her pink hair spreading out over the pillow. _'His bed is really comfortable...'_ she thought as she closed her eyes and drifted off in a semi-peaceful nap.

As Kabuto walked down the hallway to the room where the maids slept, he passed by Sasuke, looking like he had a tough training session. "Where's Sakura?" he asked as they passed each other. "She's napping in our room. I wouldn't disturb her; she said she hadn't had much sleep lately and a rest sounded good," the silver-haired main told him, turning down the hallway. _'I hope that he listens,'_ he thought, fighting the urge to silently follow him to make sure he listened.

Luckily, Sasuke did listen. He did remember how angry she would get whenever she was rudely woken up. _'And after the training I did, I really rather not get punched in the face. Besides...I rather not scare her before I convince her to be mine on her own,'_ he thought, walking past their room without bothering to go in and see her.

* * *

Inwardly, Kabuto cursed about the current predicament. It turns out that the spare mattress was taken by Orochimaru (which he did not want to know what happened to his original mattress), which meant that he would have to share his bed with Sakura. _'She best not be one of those people that steal the covers and kick in their sleep,'_ he thought, always hating activities like that. Sure, they were not intentional, but still very annoying.

He entered the room and saw that Sakura did take his advice and took a nap. He moved quietly towards the bed side, and actually smiled at the girl sleeping, covers up to her shoulders, a peaceful expression on her face while some of her hair resting over her face. He grabbed his book and sat down in a chair on the other side of the room, _'Well, hopefully I can finish a chapter this time.'_

Sakura woke up about four hours later, feeling a lot more refreshed. She sat up, and noticed Kabuto asleep himself, a book in his lap. She got up from the bed and walked over to him, curious about the book more than anything. As she went to pick it up to see what it was about, he woke up, grabbing her wrist and making her gasp. "Oh...sorry, Sakura. I thought you were...well, never mind. It was in my dream anyway," he said.

"Who?"

"This person in my dream. A character in my book," he said, letting her go and rubbing a sleepy eye awake. "I see. What's your book about? I was curious when I saw it," she said. He smirked at her, "Nothing a little girl should read."

She huffed, "I'm not a little girl. I'm almost 18." She grabbed the book from his hand, read the description, and tossed it back at him, a little disgusted. He continued to smirk. "Told you. Well, I checked with one of the maids and she told me that the last mattress we had was taken, which means we're sharing a bed," he told her. Sakura shrugged, "All right." She then flashed him a smile. "You best not take the covers or kick me. I hate it when people do that," she said, remembering the time she and Ino shared a bed together during a sleepover with the girls. That was one mistake she wasn't going to go through again.

"That makes two of us then," Kabuto said, making the kunoichi laugh. Then he laughed when he heard the sound of her hungry stomach. She blushed slightly at it, "Well, um...I guess I need something to eat."

Kabuto stood up, "Well, let's go and get something. Surprisingly, I'm a little hungry as well."

* * *

Sadly for the both of them, Sasuke was in the kitchen and dining hall, eating what looked like a tomato. _'Figures, since it is his favorite,'_ Sakura said, putting on a smile and hiding her disappointment and anger towards the Uchiha.

"Hello, Sakura. Feeling better?" he said with a smirk. "Yes, I am. Thank you for asking," she said, sitting down in a chair opposite him. Kabuto went over to the fridge, "Anything in particular you want?" "Um...ramen and some milk?" she asked, earning a nod as he pulled out a glass and poured her some milk, taking out a soda as he put the milk away. He gave her the milk as he went to the cabinet to grab some ramen. "Beef, chicken, or shrimp?" he asked. "Beef please," she said. She took a sip of her milk, trying to avoid Sasuke's gaze. Kabuto decided to make ramen as well and started to boil two pots of water.

"Would you like to train with me after you eat, Sakura? I would like to see how much stronger you've become," Sasuke asked, trying to force her to look at him. "Um...maybe. I'll see about it afterward. I can become full on eating ramen, and training on a full stomach can make a person sick," she said, but she smiled, "Maybe after my stomach settles I will."

He stood up and approached her, bending down so his lips met her ear. "I look forward to it, Sa-ku-ra," he whispered, his voice smooth as he enunciated each syllable of her name. He walked away, a glare at Kabuto, then exited the kitchen. As soon as he was out of sight, she shuddered, "Lovely...now I might have to train with him."

"You should, so he doesn't suspect anything. I'll be nearby to watch to make sure he doesn't do anything to hurt you, and if he tries, I'll intervene," he said, adding the ramen to the boiling pots. "Thank you for that confidence," she said, making him smirk. "Of course. Besides, I think it might be a good idea. I'm curious as well as to how much you've changed since the Chunin exams," he said.

"More than you know, trust me."

"Trust me, I know that."

She let her stomach rest for an hour before walking down the hallway towards Sasuke's room. Kabuto showed her the way before taking a place of hiding (or what could be considered hiding) around the training grounds. Nervously, she knocked on the door and stood back to wait for an answer. It came relatively quickly. "Ah. Yes, Sakura?" Sasuke asked as he leaned up against the doorframe. "Well, I thought you wanted to train. My stomach's settled enough, so I shouldn't get sick when we fight," she said, her head slightly bowed so she didn't look directly in his onyx eyes. He smirked, "All right then. Let's get going. Beware, I won't be going easy on you."

They headed out to the training grounds, both taking a position opposite each other. He had his Sharigan activated while she placed on her chakra-control gloves, given to her by Kakashi for her 17th birthday. _'Since Naruto ripped my original ones, I'm glad I had these as a spare,'_ she thought.

"Are you ready?"

"Yep. Your move or mine?"

Kabuto watched them fight for about twenty minutes non-stop, amused by Sakura's new abilities. Training with the Sannin Tsunade paid off well, as she was no longer the weak kunoichi she was when she was 12. Judging by the look the look on Sasuke's face, he was also very impressed.

At last however, he managed to trap Sakura against a tree, making sure that she couldn't escape. "Sasuke, what are you--" she started to say, but then she was interrupted by Sasuke's lips nearing hers. "Did you miss me, Sakura? Was I still on your mind all these years?" he asked, his voice the same as it was when he spoke to her in the kitchen.

"Well, kinda, yes, but--"

"But what?"

"Well, I was mostly wondering when you would come back, or how you were doing, and such like that."

He let out a low chuckled, his Sharigan deactivating so that his onyx orbs bore into her emerald ones. "Anything else? Did you dream of me? Did you still love me? Well, _Sakura?_" he asked, a hand lifting her chin up as his lips began to land on hers. She wanted to struggle away, but he had her pinned. _'Uh, Kabuto? Anytime please!'_ her thoughts screamed.

Lucky for her, Kabuto appeared quickly, clearing his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but Sakura, I need you to come with me. I think I might have accidently broke something of yours," he said, forcing the two of them apart. Sakura inwardly gave a sigh of relief as Sasuke glared at him with an infamous death glare. He shrugged it off as Sakura approached and walked away with him.

"Thank you. That was getting dangerous," she whispered quietly. "Hn. And no, I didn't break anything of yours, before you decide to ask," he replied. She smiled, "I would hope so."


	5. The Awkward First Night

Chapter 5: The Awkward First Night

Sakura spent the rest of the day in Kabuto's, and for now their, room, finding herself occupied with reading or making some idol chat with the silver hair medic-nin. She eventually decided to take another nap until it was time for dinner, which was in about two hours. After her training session – and her very close encounter with Sasuke – she was a little tired. She laid back on the bed, letting her eyes drift closed, the book she was reading beside her.

It was at this time Kabuto looked at Sakura with much deeper thought. He never met a young girl, or rather woman for that matter, quite like her. Not many kunoichis could live up to her level, or have her uniqueness. _'She has pink hair, and it's easy to tell it's natural. Her eyes are unusually bright, which is something that no other woman I have encountered have had. Not to mention,'_ he thought, his eyes drifting over her frame, _'They never had a beautiful aura like hers.'_

His eyes continued to drift over her until they met her face, which now he could see that peaceful expression she had when he came in on her sleeping earlier that day. _'You know...she's very cute. And her skin is very soft,'_ he added, remembering how soft it was when his hand was brushing her cheek. He watched as her lips parted, as if she was going to speak, but no voice came. All the sudden he had this feeling of wanting to run a finger over those lips, wondering if they were just as soft and light as her pale skin.

That thought is what woke him up. _'What the HELL am I thinking!? This is Sakura I'm thinking of. That girl that struck me as being annoying, VERY annoying at that, during the Chunin exams. The girl I was forced to bring here,'_ he screamed in his mind, getting very angry at himself. Then he looked back at her, _'But...still, she is cute either way. And I won't feel ashamed in saying that.'_

He felt his stomach growl again, telling him to go get food. "I guess I'll make something for the both of us," he muttered, leaving the room and locking it in the process. Just in case.

* * *

He entered the kitchen and looked around, trying to find something easy yet good to eat. "We need more groceries. I guess I'll have to get some soon," he said, rummaging through the cabinets. He eventually landed on making some soup and sandwiches, which was the only thing he found to be slightly appetizing...and didn't have tomatoes in it. Oh, how he hated that vegetable now, since that's what Sasuke always seems to want to eat. And sadly, Orochimaru always makes sure that there are plenty for him. The wicked grin he would give him when Sasuke was out would always make his shudder and forced him out to get some. 

He heated up the soup, making sure there was plenty for him and Sakura, as he went to make the sandwiches. Sadly, he didn't know what she would like on hers, so he guessed and left it at mayo on the bread, two slices of ham (the only meat they had, much to Kabuto's chagrin; he didn't like ham as much as anyone else in the place), and a piece of cheese in the middle. He did the same for him, not caring about it as much as the soup.

As soon as it was done, he poured the soup into two bowls, placed them next to two spoons and a package of crackers with the sandwiches next to that on a tray. Carefully he carried to the room, unlocking the door with one semi-free hand, and entered without much disturbance to the girl still sleeping. He placed the food down on a table that was on the opposite wall of the bed, then going over to Sakura to wake her up.

"Sakura? Hey, Sakura, get up. I brought food. You might want to eat it before it gets cold," he said, gently shaking her. Sakura moaned slightly, hating being disturbed and reluctantly opened her eyes. "Ugh...I was sleeping well...I was in the middle of a great dream," she muttered as she rubbed her eyes.

"A great dream, huh? Care to tell?"

"It's none of your business, Kabuto."

"All right, Miss Crabby," he said with a smirk, making the blossom very angry. She wanted to punch him, but decided against it when she saw the food. "You made that?" she asked curiously. "Yeah. It's not much, but I can't cook for crap, so I just went with what was in the cabinet," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. She sat up and went to the table, taking a bowl and took a spoonful of the soup. "Well, it's really good. Thank you, Kabuto," she said, flashing him a smile before sitting down in a chair that he brought over to the table.

He stood a bit dumbfounded for a moment before making his way over to the table. _'She sure is cute when she smiles,'_ he found himself thinking, but quickly pushed the thought away.

* * *

Sakura released a large yawn as she closed her book, finished with a chapter. Kabuto looked up at her from behind his and watched as she went towards the dresser. "After all the sleep you got today, I'm surprised you're still tired," he muttered as she pulled out what looked like pajamas. 

"Deal with double and triple shifts for two weeks straight, on top of having a mission babysitting two adults that act like three-year-olds. Then you'll know how tired I feel."

With that said, she departed with clothes in her hands to the connected bathroom. Kabuto couldn't help but be amused; he knew how it was to be babysitting an adult (sadly, that adult was Orochimaru). She reappeared a few minutes later, her old clothes now in hand. "You can put the clothes in that basket by the dresser. One of the maids will wash them tomorrow," he said without looking up from the book.

"Oh, thank you," she said, walking softly towards the basket. She did release a small shiver, "This room does get plenty cold at night." It was merely a whisper, but it did perk his interest and made him look up from his book. That was when he found himself staring at her.

She wore a plain pair of pink pajama pants with a lower-cut white tank top. Sadly, she didn't think about grabbing a better, less revealing shirt to sleep in, as it was instinct to grab it. She stretched out her arms, the shirt lifting to reveal a bit of stomach, then sat down on the bed and pulled up her pair of socks, giving Kabuto a bit of a show with the little bit of cleavage that was popping through,

He coughed, closed his book, and went to his drawer, pulling out a short-sleeved shirt that he knew was big enough to cover her. He tossed it at her, "Wear that then, if you're cold. It's better than what you have on now." Sakura looked at him confused for a moment, then realized what he meant and promptly turned red. She slipped the shirt on over her head, feeling drowned in it due to its size. "Um...thank you," she said, trying her best to hide the blush that seemed to have amused him more than the little show she just gave him.

She was still blushing as she settled down into the bed. Kabuto shortly followed, pulling off the main top he wore to just being in his pants and socks with a plain white t-shirt. He undid the tie around his hair, letting it fall down from its ponytail, and placed it and his glasses on the nightstand. They both went under the blankets, backs to one another, each laying on their own pillow.

"Night, Sakura."

"Good night, Kabuto."

* * *

"_Do you still love me, Sakura? Do you?"_

"_Sasuke...please stop. Don't."_

"_Sa-ku-ra..."_

"_Stop it! Sasuke, stop!"_

"_Do you love me? I love you."_

_"No, I don't! No!"_

* * *

Sakura woke up with a scream, "Stop!" Her breathing was erratic and she panted heavily. Kabuto was quickly woken up, turning over and stared at the wide-eyed frightened kunoichi. "Sakura, what is it? What's wrong?" 

She looked over at him, tears streaming from her eyes. "Sasuke...he, in my dreams...Oh, God," she sobbed out, making no sense. Gently, he laid her back down on the mattress, "Okay, okay. Calm down. It was just a dream. He's not going to hurt you, not as long as I'm here, all right?" She continued to look at him, tears still streaming from her eyes, but her breathing calmed and she no longer panted. "Kabuto...thank you..." she whispered. She closed her eyes and snuggled up to his chest, feeling that this way she would feel safe. He wanted to move her, but instead he embraced her, deciding to wait until she was done crying before moving her over back to her side.

In the end, he ended up falling asleep with her cuddled close. _'I guess for tonight, this will be fine. It actually feels...kinda nice,'_ he thought before falling into complete slumber.


	6. The Plan Begins: Day One

Chapter 6: The Plan Begins: Day One

Sakura woke up, unsure of where she was. The bed was comfortable, but unfamiliar. She was wearing a large shirt that she knew wasn't hers, taking in the scent of fabric softener. She then shifted, realizing a pair of arms was wrapped around her.

_'Hmm...why am in Ino's bed? And why am I wearing one of her large sleep shirts?' _she thought. She felt the person shift, their arms still tight around her. She realized then it wasn't Ino, but it was a guy that held her. _'Naruto? But why would he be in my apartment? Or why is he and I both in Ino's bed?' _she pondered.

She opened her eyes, blinking slightly from the daylight that was shining from a window. It wasn't Naruto she was resting against, but against a man with silver hair. Then everything came back to her. She was in Sound and she was currently cuddled against Kabuto.

She looked up at him slightly, seeing that he was still asleep. His hair was spread on the pillow with some in his face. _'He looks so different without his glasses and his hair down. He actually looks...handsome,'_ she thought. She snuggled her face closer into his chest, hoping for a few more moments of sleep. She was actually comfortable being in his arms, and decided not to ruin the moment by pushing away.

Kabuto knew that she was waking up, and had the feeling that she was looking up at him. However, he decided not to disturb her after she buried her head against him again. He decided to sleep in more as well, not wanting to get up and deal with the day's upcoming activities.

That was, until one of the maids came knocking on the door. "Kabuto-san, Lord Orochimaru wishes for you to come and make breakfast," she said, then walking away. Kabuto groaned, hating the idea of cooking. Especially since he would more than likely ask to make something with tomatoes for Sasuke. He removed his arms from around Sakura and sat up in the bed, placing on his glasses. Sakura moaned slightly herself, feeling the loss of body heat. "Had a good night sleep?" he asked, looking over at her as she sat up and stretched.

"Yeah, actually, I did. I do feel pretty refreshed."

"Good. But remember, now you have to pretend you're sick. I'll bring you food and such, and will visit you when I can, since I don't know what all Lord Orochimaru wants me to do today," he said, muttering afterward to himself, although Sakura was able to make out "groceries," "tomatoes," and a few little curse words. As he stood up and headed for the dresser to grab a new shirt, Sakura got up from the bed and began to make it.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "What are you doing?" She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "Well, I guess you can say I 'm fickle when it comes to some things. I always make my bed so that way it's ready for that night," she said, "Am I weird for that?" He shook his head, making her smile again. She made her way over to the dresser and pulled out a new outfit herself, then headed for the bathroom to change.

Kabuto sighed as he pulled his dirty white shirt off and tossed it into the hamper. "Day one," he muttered, grabbing a new one from a drawer. Before he was able to slip on a new shirt, however, Sakura came back into the room, "Forgot something."

Sakura stopped when she saw Kabuto, a dark red blush creeping over her face. "Oh...um, sorry!" she squealed, running back into the bathroom and shutting the door.

_'I just saw Kabuto half naked! Gah! I'm so embarrassed!'_

_**'Hey, calm down! Jeez, it's not that bad. I mean, you saw Sasuke practically shirtless, and Naruto was once when you had to heal that wound on his chest,' **_her inner self scolded.

_'Yeah, but there's a different here. Naruto was injured, so I had to see him shirtless. That wasn't embarrassing. Sasuke, well, that can't be helped. It's not my fault Lord Pedophile made him dress like that. Disgusting pervert...'_

_**'What's your point?'**_

_'I don't even know Kabuto! That's what makes it awkward! Gah!'_

Her inner sighed, _**'You just slept in the same bed with him, right up next to him, wearing one of his shirts over yours, and wasn't embarrassed then by much, but now you saw him shirtless and you're getting all up in arms about it. Sheesh.'**_

_'Oh, shut up!'_

"Uh, Sakura? You can come out now. I'm decent," Kabuto said. Sakura gulped down a gasp, then opened the door shyly. Kabuto looked at her puzzled for a moment, seeing how beet red she was.

"Um, sorry. I didn't know you were getting dressed or anything right away. I mean, um," she stuttered out, not making eye contact with him. He just smirked and approached her, a hand cupping her chin to force her to look up. "Well, I guess you got a little show like I did last night," he said, making her turn a deeper red than she was. He let her go, turning away. "I wouldn't recommend dressing as if you were going to go out. You'll be in here pretty much all day. I'll bring you some things to keep you from getting too bored. I have some books on the bookshelf above the dresser, if you want to read something else when your other book is done," he told her.

With that said, he went to leave, but was stopped by Sakura. "Um, Kabuto? Thank you...for comforting me last night, and for letting me wear one of your shirts to bed," she said. He gave her a small smirk, "No problem. Feel free to keep that shirt if you want. Better to wear that then to show off." He left quickly, shutting the door behind him before Sakura decided to hit him for his comment.

* * *

On his way to the kitchen, he passed by Sasuke, who looked like he just got done taking a quick training session. _'Does he ever stop training?'_ he thought, keeping his anger down as he passed.

"Where is she?" the Uchiha asked, stopping the other shinobi. "She's sleeping. She apparently caught a bug, and now is feeling very ill. I told her to stay in bed for the day," he replied, staring the other man in the eye. "I see. I guess I'll go and visit her then," Sasuke replied.

"I wouldn't recommend it. I don't think you want to catch what she has. It would ruin your training schedule and leave you laying in bed like she is," Kabuto said strictly, "I'd give her three days to get over it before you decide to go and visit." Sasuke glared at him, "In three days then. At that point, she's mine. And I don't care if she's sick or not." He then walked past the silver hair man, leaving him there still suppressing his anger. "Why would you force a girl like her into being nothing but a useless toy? She's your teammate, so why are you treating her in that way?" Kabuto asked, glaring sharply.

Sasuke stopped, not bothering to turn back to him. "I don't care about her. She's annoying and worthless to me. I chose her because she was the only girl I knew, and was once willing to help with the restoration of my clan. She's nothing else to me otherwise. She's no longer my teammate, but a weak kunoichi that shouldn't have been one in the first place," he said monotoned, continuing to walk away.

There was nothing in the world Kabuto wanted most than to punch the bastard in the face for his comment. _'Sakura is not useless or weak. He saw how well she can fight, and how much stronger she has become,'_ he thought, turning back towards the direction of the kitchen,

* * *

Kabuto was tired. Very, very tired. He looked at the time. It was three in the afternoon, the entire morning wasted.

Orochimaru (and Sasuke, sadly) kept him very busy with this, that, or the other all morning, leaving him no time to relax._ 'Shopping, cooking, making, ugh, tomato soup for the Uchiha...I need a nap. Hopefully Sakura isn't hogging the bed. And if she's just wanting to read, she best go sit in the chair,' _he thought with a sigh as he entered the room. Sakura wasn't in the room, making him wonder, but then he heard the water in the shower going. He shrugged, heading for the bed and laying down. Within a few minutes of closing his eyes, he was on his way to sleep.

Sakura emerged from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, her hair wrapped up in a towel and a towel around her upper half, already wearing a pair of shorts. "I really need to remember to bring all my clothes into the bathroom," she muttered to herself, going to the dresser to pull out a new shirt (having forgotten the mess she made on her other one after an accident with her lunch; oh thank god for her that Kabuto wasn't in the room for that one). She noticed Kabuto laying on the bed and promptly blushed, but then calmed down when she saw that he was asleep. _'Whew...man, that would be just as embarrassing as it was earlier,'_ she thought with a relieved sigh as she went into the bathroom again.

**'_Don't start this again. He would've ignored you, and went back to sleep.'_**

_'Yeah, I guess...he looked so worn out. Sasuke and Pedophile must have kept him working all day.'_

_**'Duh. He's one of his minions, and Sasuke just wants to keep him away from us.'**_

_'I know.'_

_**'You know what...you should help Kabuto relax tonight. Remember how Naruto said you give good massages when he was tensed up from dealing with Neji? You should give him one to help him relax, especially with all he's doing for you.'**_

_'Hmm...I guess I can do that. But what if he starts thinking I'm weird or something?'_

_**'Just ignore it. It's the least you can do for him, you know.'**_

_'Yeah. Okay, got it.'_

She pulled the towel off her head, letting her still-wet pink locks fall, and began to brush it out, making some water still drip and getting the tangles out. After a few minutes, she was done and exited the room, still finding Kabuto asleep. She smiled just slightly, taking her book and heading for the large chair that he usually sat in. She opened her book with a small hum, "Chapter 17..."


	7. Too Close, Too Enjoyable: Being Childish

Author's Note: Yay, time for the fluff.

Chapter 7: Too Close, Too Enjoyable: Being Childish

Poke.

Kabuto groaned.

Poke.

"Ugh..."

Poke. Poke.

"Ack, knock it off. Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

Poke-poke-poke-poke.

Kabuto opened his eyes at last, grabbing the wrist of the person that was poking him. "Finally, you're up," came the laughing voice of Sakura. He glared at her as she still laughed. "Sorry. I was bored, and I was getting hungry," she replied as she calmed down. He groaned again, sitting up, "And you called me childish." He looked at the time. 6:00.

"I've been asleep that long? Well, I guess it was worth it. Got me out of doing some chores. But I guess now, you want me to get you dinner?"

"Well, since I can't go out there because I don't look sick, yep. Sorry."

"It's fine," he muttered, standing up, "Just wait here. I'll make something good." "It's not like I was going to go anywhere," Sakura said with a bit of irritation in her voice. _'Didn't I just say I can't go out?'_ she added inwardly. Kabuto left then, heading for the kitchen thinking about what to make.

After about a half-hour, he returned to the room, carrying a tray with teriyaki-covered noodles and two glasses of milk, having no other thing to drink besides water. _'And the water here tastes terrible,'_ he thought as he opened the door carefully. Sakura sat, waiting patiently as she kicked the air with one leg. She smiled when she saw Kabuto come in with their dinner. "Hope this is good. Like I said, I'm not a great cook," he muttered as he sat the tray down on the table.

"Well, if circumstances were different, I'd teach you how to cook. I don't know a lot, but I was told I could be a nice chef if I put my mind to it. Or a housewife," she said, although she sounded angry at the housewife part of that statement. Kabuto smirked, picking up his chopsticks. _'I would make a comment, but I fear that my dinner may go to waste,'_ he thought, resisting the urge to tease. They each ate in silence, the sound of chopsticks hitting the bowls breaking it ever slightly.

"This is actually really good, Kabuto. I think you're a better cook than you think you are."

"I'll take it as a compliment."

"It was supposed to. Goof," she muttered. Kabuto stiffened a little bit; he was never called a goof. Yet this girl did, a small smile on her face as she took another bite of the noodles. He stared at her for a few moments before he took in another bite. After a few more minutes, the food was gone and Kabuto stood up to take the bowls back to the kitchen. When he came back, he saw Sakura leaning back on the bed, a drawing pad resting on slightly bended legs, her hand carefully making strokes on the paper. Curious, he sat down beside her and looked over.

She was drawing what looked like a bridge in the middle of a forest area, trees on either side and a thin, winding river flowing underneath. He had to admit, it was quite beautiful, and she was a magnificent artist. "When have you become Miss Great Artist?" he said teasingly, getting her to look at him. "Oh, I didn't know you were here. Sorry; when I get caught up in drawing I usually drown everything else out. But, I guess I noticed my talent when I was eight or nine. Mom said that I really did have that flare, especially for drawing scenery. She said she kept a lot of the work I did when I was younger in a box in her room. I really wish I could find the darned thing so I can see how much I've progressed," she said, then turning back. He smirked, almost smiled actually, then stood up and stretched. "Ugh...the next time Sasuke tells me that he wants to train with me, I might have to kill him," he muttered softly, getting Sakura's attention slightly.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. My muscles just hurt a bit, that's all. I guess I stressed them out some."

Sakura motioned for him to sit down, earning her a puzzled look. "I'm not going to hurt you, geez. Just relax, okay?" she said with a small smile on her face. She placed her drawing pad to the side as he sat down, then approached him. Gently, she placed her hands on his shoulders and massaged them, "Geez...Sasuke must have really worn you out. You're extremely tense."

He looked up at her slightly. _'What the hell is she doing?'_ he thought as she continued. "You need to relax some," she said softly, as if she read his mind and answered his question. He still looked at her, but finally relaxed and allowed her to continue without a protest. _'Hmm...this feels good,'_ he thought, closing his eyes.

Sakura's inner self smiled, _**'See? And you're not too embarrassed by it.'**_

_'Trust me, if it wasn't for you bugging me, I would be extremely embarrassed. This is just so...weird. I mean, I don't know really anything about him. If he was Naruto or Tsunade-sama or anyone else that I knew, this wouldn't be bad. But it's Kabuto...this is actually too close for comfort for me.'_

_**'Oy...Get a grip.' **_

As Sakura groaned at her inner, Kabuto was lost in his own thoughts, mostly lost in thoughts of how well she was making him relax. After a few minutes, he gave her a sign to stop, feeling much better. "That felt great, Sakura. Thank you," he said, then smirked, "You'd make an excellent housewife someday."

Sakura glared at him, resisting the urge to hit him (with much thanks to her inner). "Ha ha, very funny. Be lucky that I don't feel like slapping you for that comment," she said sarcastically. He just smirked at her, "Can't help but say the truth, Sakura."

"You're being very childish at the moment, you know."

"So are you."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes, you are."

Sakura glared at him again, at that point taking a pillow and tossed at him. Kabuto actually laughed slightly, catching the pillow. "You're not being childish? You're starting a pillow fight," he said in a mocking tone. She stuck out her tongue, "You started it." Kabuto smirked and tossed it back at her, catching it herself and threw it back at him. "Why am I doing this?" he asked aloud as he threw it back. "Because you are," came the reply as different pillow hit him the face.

After about ten minutes of pillows being thrown (and a broken lamp, which lead to a nice stream of muttered curses by Kabuto), Sakura laid down on the bed, sighing at her semi-crinkle drawing and broken pencil, while Kabuto was looking over the broken pieces of his lamp. "Okay...we're never doing that again," he muttered, tossing it in the trash.

"Gotta admit, that was fun. I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

"I guess, if you want to call that fun."

"It was! Come on, Kabuto, look me in the eyes and tell me that wasn't fun."

Kabuto looked up at that time and met with her sparkling, green eyes. They were overly bright, bold like her smile and just as playful. For a moment, he couldn't speak until he saw her expression change. Sakura raised an eyebrow in question. "Uh, Kabuto? Hello?" she asked. "Well...I guess it was fun," he said, earning a large smile in return. She then leaned back on the bed, eyes to the ceiling and a yawn escaping from her mouth. "Now I'm bored," she said.

Kabuto looked at the time. It was almost 7:30. He looked over at her again, hearing her hum some sort of song, and he smirked. He approached the bed and laid down beside her. "So am I, a little bit. This is a first. Be proud that you made me bored," he said. "_I_ made you?" she questioned in a little yell, poking him in the side in retaliation for his comment. In turn, he poked her back, and a game ensured, each wanting to make the other surrender.

Kabuto smirked as he slowly learned that she was ticklish and used it to his advantage. She began to scream out in laughter, "Kabuto! S-stop! That tick-tickles!" He smirked, continuing his tortured until at last she gave up. She laid there breathless, a smile on her face. "Okay...I'm not bored anymore. I'm now tired," she muttered through shallow breaths. He smirked, then stood up and went to his chair to read his book. "And sweaty," he added, earning a glare. As she got up and grabbed her pajamas on the way to the bathroom, he opened his book to read the last chapter he had. However, he didn't get far before thoughts of the pink-haired kunoichi came into his mind.

_'That was fun...but why was I having fun with her? And why was it when I looked into her eyes, I couldn't speak? Gah...don't tell me, Kabuto, you're starting to like her. That isn't a smart idea. That's very bad. But...ack. Great. I'm getting too close to her. And now I'm starting to fall in love with Sakura Haruno. Lovely,'_ he thought disdainfully, closing his book and went to make the bed. About 15 minutes later, Sakura emerged, dressed ready for bed and looking very cleaned and refreshed. Her hair was still wet from a recently-done shower, but luckily dried enough as to not make the bed too wet.

"It's early, but I'm tired. So I'm going to bed. Night Kabuto."

"Good night."

Sakura yawned, tossing her clothes in the hamper, then crawled into the bed. "Thanks for remaking it," she mumbled, which he just replied with a "Hn."

_'And thanks for a really fun night. That really made me happy.'_

Shortly afterward, Kabuto went to bed himself, crawling in carefully as to not really disturb her. He let down his hair and took off his glasses, leaving them on the nightstand. Sakura stirred, turning to him unconsciously. He smirked, watching her for a few moments before closing his eyes. He finally fell asleep, lulled by the sound of her peaceful breathing.

_'Meh...maybe being too close and liking her isn't such a bad idea after all.'_


	8. Day Two: Mapping Out The Escape

Chapter 8: Day Two: Mapping Out The Escape

They both woke up late the next morning. By the time they did wake up, it was almost time for lunch. A maid walked by their room at least twice, each time went unheard by the bunkmates.

Which, if either one of them were awake before then, they would be aware of their most comfortable position.

Sometime during the night, Kabuto's arms found their way around Sakura's waist and her legs were trapped under one of his. Sakura's hand was on his overlaying one, which could've been easily mistaken for them holding hands by an unknowing eye.

Sakura woke up first, stirring and turning so she was laying on her back. She realized then that Kabuto's arms was snaked around her waist and promptly blushed. _'Wow...that was something to wake up to. When did this happen? I mean, I know why the other night that happened; I had that nightmare with Sasuke. But this time...this is a little awkward,'_ she thought, lightly removing herself from his grasp.

_**'Oh come on! You know you like it!' **_her inner said teasingly.

_'Gah, why do you have to bug me this early in the morning?'_

_**'Well, stop acting like this is all an embarrassing mess. It's not bad. Actually, I think he likes you.'**_

_'No way...why would he like me?'_

_**'Don't start the whole pity party thing again. Gah, I hated it the last time. But it did get you ice cream...'**_

_'Uh, current situation please.'_

Sakura sighed as she grabbed up her clothes and headed for the bathroom to change.

_**'Seriously, I think Kabuto likes you. And you know what...I think you like him.'**_

_'WHAT?! Are you kidding me?!'_

_**'Oy! I'm a part of you. I can see into you. And I think you like him too.'**_

_'Inner...why do I talk to you?'_

_**'Because you like to talk to yourself.'**_

Sakura sighed again as she changed, _'You're nuts.'_

_**'Back at ya. Give it time, Sakura. You'll figure it out.'**_

_'Just shut up.'_

She began to brush through her hair quickly before heading out. Kabuto was just waking up, brushing a hand through his now tangled hair. "Good morning," he mumbled, looking over at the clock. 10:30. "Oy...slept in well," he added, standing up. Sakura tossed her pajamas in the dresser and went to make the messy bed. "Yeah, we both did. I guess we were extra tired after last night," she said with a cheerful enough smile on her face.

"Aren't you chipper?" _'And cute...damn it. Shut up Kabuto.'_

"I guess I'm a morning person today." _'With his hair down...he looks pretty darn cute. Ack, shut up Sakura!'_

Kabuto yawned, taking out a clean shirt and pants from the dresser, "Want to turn around or just stand there and watch?" He smirked at her blushing face as she turned around, picking up the drawing pad she left on the floor. "You're too easy to tease, Sakura. It's very entertaining," he said, "And for a medic, you sure do blush a lot to guys with their shirts off. You would think it's commonplace with the job."

She turned around in defense, Kabuto just getting his first shirt over his head. "I'm not that easy to tease. And I'm not that shy. Well...I am a little, but I'm not bad!" she challenged, earning her an amused smirk. "I might have to test you on that. But right now, I'm going to make lunch and start mapping out an escape route for you. Since yesterday was wasted, I only have today and tomorrow to figure out how to get you out of here," he said, pulling the second shirt over.

"Why can't we go out the way we came in?"

"If we could do that, you would've been out by now. That door only opens from the outside. Once on the inside, it remains closed. Lord Orochimaru made it that way to prevent escape. And sadly, outside of the main tunnel, there is no other entryway that I know of that you can get out safely and secretly. I wasn't here when the compound was built, so I don't know all the different things he put in here, or whoever made the place. I plan to try and find some sort of construction map and figure out from there."

Kabuto tied back his hair, "If one of your Hyuuga friends were here, I'm sure it would be easier, but since it's just us, it's not as simple as said." As he turned to exit the room, Sakura came up behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around to meet a pair of worried and curious eyes. "Kabuto...what will happen to you?" she asked in an almost whisper. He raised an eyebrow at her, puzzled by her question. "If you manage to get me out...what will happen to you? I'm sure Sasuke will figure it all out. Then...what if he...he tries to kill you?" she said, trying her best not to break tears.

Kabuto was in surprise. Sakura was really worried for him. The girl that he betrayed those five years ago, the girl that he kidnapped without knowing the true plan, she was wanting to cry because she is afraid of him getting killed for helping her. Sakura turned her head away, hiding her eyes from him. He smirked, nearly smiled, and ran a hand down her cheek, catching one of her escaped tears. "He won't kill me. I won't let him. Don't worry, okay?" he said in a voice that was almost comforting. She looked up at him a bit, a few more tears falling, but she managed to give a small, faint smile.

He brushed back a lock of straying hair, and did something that shocked both of them: he left a gentle kiss on her forehead and gave her then an actual smile. "Be back later," he said, breaking away from the grasp she held on his shoulder and left the room.

He leaned against the door for a moment after he closed it. _'What did I do? I never did anything like that before...but I actually liked it. I guess it's official. I like her. A lot,'_ he thought, shaking his head, _'I have to get her out of here soon. And I'll figure out a way to do it without having her worry about my safety.'_

On the other side of the door, Sakura sat down next to it, fingers draping quickly over the spot that Kabuto kissed and the image of his smile flashing quickly again in her mind. _'Why did he do that? I know it was in innocence, but still...Kami, my heart is racing like a drum in my chest, and it feels like it's not going to stop. Inner...I think you might be right too. I may actually like him, like you said,'_ she thought while her sleeping inner let out a laugh.

* * *

Luckily for Kabuto, today was a day that Orochimaru was going to train with Sasuke, leaving his room empty for a few hours. With lunch finished and the dishes washed (in kindness to the maids this time), he approached the sannin's room and found a way in without really disturbing anything. _'Okay...somewhere in here has to be a map or something of the place,'_ he thought as he moved softly through the room, checking in places that he thought a map would be placed. A dresser, a desk drawer, even under the bed (which almost made Kabuto sick; _'Please don't tell me that's his old mattress and...God...'_). In the end, nothing was found. _'Well, damn it...don't tell me that I have to spend the rest of the time looking through those blasted books. And knowing him, if he had a map, it would be in one of them. I haven't seen him read a book in ages...this is going to be fun,'_ he thought with sarcasm, running a dusty hand through his hair as he looked towards the large, narrowed bookshelf.

After about 30 minutes, he searched lightly through each book before he found a loose paper fall out from one of the older ones. He picked it up and opened it, then smirking. _'Perfect. A map,'_ he thought, folding it and stuffing it in his pocket quickly. Suddenly the sound of footsteps came into his earshot and Kabuto grabbed three books from the shelf, totally at random. Orochimaru entered the room at that moment, noticing him with the books.

"Hmm? Why are you in my room, Kabuto?"

"Forgive me, Lord Orochimaru. I was just borrowing a few books; I currently am out of reading material."

"Ah, I see. That's fine then. I see the girl is boring you?"

"No, not really, actually. In fact, we are both wanting to read some books, so I thought these would do nicely as well. And with her being ill, it will give her something to do as well."

Orochimaru chuckled slightly, "I see. Well, have fun then." Kabuto left just as Orochimaru entered and closed the door to his bathroom. And for what, he didn't want to know, since he certainly didn't look sweaty. His eyes flashed back to the mattress.

* * *

While Sakura was busy taking a shower, feeling very dirty and dusty from cleaning up the room ('_She must have been very bored,'_ Kabuto thought as he entered the room after his adventure in looking for the map), Kabuto took the time to look over the map. It was fading, but he managed to make out the different paths and their connections. His fingers trailed over it as he sat in thought.

"Okay...well, over here is the secret entrance inside, and then the main tunnel exit over on this side. There seems to be another opening...wow, it's really far underground, but it comes out far outside Sound's borders. If she exited through that, then it would take less than a day for her to get back to Konoha. After that, hopefully she'll find a way to keep safe in case Sasuke decides to go after her. Which, in the same hope, I can stop him from doing so. Great...this is going to be fun to get through."

Sakura emerged a little while later, her hair up in a towel and she was wearing her pajama top and one of the shorts that was in the hamper. "Oh. Hey, Kabuto," she said, reaching for a pair of hairpins that was hiding in her bag. "Uh...hey," he muttered, finding himself staring at her. She didn't pay attention as she grabbed her pins and walked back to the bathroom.

_'Again...a show. I'm not going to tease this time. I got other things to worry about right now. Although later...maybe,'_ he thought with an inward smirk, going back to the map to figure out the quickest – and safest – way out.


	9. The Escaped Planned: Innocent Affection

Author's Note: Yay, more fluff!

Chapter 9: The Escape Planned: Innocent Affection

"Tomorrow night, after everyone's asleep, we'll get you out of here. Tonight's no good; sadly Sasuke had decided to have a late night training session, and the path we're going to take is through the grounds," Kabuto said, showing Sakura the map, "Besides, it'll get you time to get some sleep and pack up your bag. Okay with that?" Sakura nodded, "Yes. As long as it gets me out of here and away from Sasuke, it's fine with me."

_'Although I kinda don't want to leave...'_

"All right then," he said, rolling up the map and hiding it in one of the books he borrowed from Orochimaru. Sakura began to lightly pack up with her clothes and books, leaving out her drawing pad and pencil, and eventually fell back on the bed. Kabuto joined her, wanting to watch her as she worked on her new artwork. This time, it looked like it was a person, a man, although only the framework was done. She began to draw the frame for another person beside it, making him curious.

"Who are you drawing?"

"I don't know just yet. I'm really just randomly drawing with no real purpose."

He continued to watch her until she finished the frame on the other body, a woman this time, which was when she put it away and leaned back on the bed to stare at the ceiling. She began to lose herself in thought, making Kabuto curious as to what she was thinking about.

"What's up?"

"The ceiling."

"Very funny. I was meaning you."

"Well, I'm up on the bed."

Kabuto let out an agitated sigh, but then smirked and poked her in the side, making her squeal. "Hey! What was that for?" she called out, looking over at the amused shinobi. "You're being funny, why can't I?" he retorted. Sakura gave him a light punch in the shoulder, "Yeah, you're being funny alright."

And, like the night before, her action began the hyperactive, childish fun that lasted over an hour. In the end, the drawing pad was on the floor along with the top blanket of the bed, a pillow was against a wall, and Sakura's hair was an unruly mess, having loss the pins that were holding it up.

"Well, that was fun!"

"Hn, I guess so."

"Hey, you started it this time, not me. So you better have found it fun."

"Hn."

Sakura sighed in irritation, pushing him off the bed so she could make it. He smirked; he really enjoyed annoying her. _'I'm going to actually miss doing this when she leaves tomorrow,'_ he thought with regret, although he was getting slightly angered at himself for the comment. As soon as she was done, he was back on the bed, staring at her as she looked around for the hairpins. Eventually she did find them: one found itself on the drawing pad and the other was behind her bag near the end of the bed. She didn't bother putting them back in, instead placing them in the bag with her pad. She laid back on the bed herself, once again returning to staring at the ceiling.

"Tomorrow...I go home. But..."

"What?"

"I'm still worried about you."

Kabuto sighed, "I said not to worry. I'll be fine." Sakura looked over at him with the same worried green eyes as she showed him before, "But what if you're not? Sasuke may actually kill you. Do you think I like the idea knowing that he killed you because you helped me? No, I hate it. The thought's crossed my mind several times, and it makes me stomach turn and my heart ache each time. Of course I'm worried."

He stared at her as for the second time today tears began to form in her eyes and begun to spill over its walls. His hand reacted involuntarily and rested against one of her cheeks, his thumb wiping away some of the falling tears. "Don't start crying again, Sakura," he whispered, his other hand now following its twin. Sakura blinked, surprised by his action, but more surprised by the onyx eyes that were staring straight at her. Inside she blushed, _'His eyes are beautiful. Even more so than Sasuke's.' _She closed her eyes then, letting the tears flow a little more.

He leaned in a little closer, his body reacting than his mind, their foreheads meeting somewhat awkwardly. The blush that she did hold inside came out, and Kabuto began to question (and curse) his action. "Stop it. No more crying," he said, his voice coming out sweet. Sakura pulled away and looked at him again, the last of her tears falling down to meet his fingers. "Kabuto...thank you..." she whispered, unsure as to why she said it, but as if it needed to be said.

He smirked and pulled his hands away, and Sakura felt the loss of warmth to her dampened cheeks. "Let's go to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," he said, removing the tie from his hair and his glasses to place them on the nightstand. Sakura stood up to grab the shirt Kabuto gave her, being that this was the last night she was going to wear it. She quickly rejoined Kabuto in the bed, and lifted the covers to bury herself in them.

Gently, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek before laying her head down on the pillow. "Good night, Kabuto," she whispered, feeling no embarrassment in her action. _'It's just an innocent kiss, Inner. Stop snickering,'_ she scolded her inner self, who was currently laughing and teasing her about liking the silver hair man.

However, for Kabuto, his mind raced with thoughts, all thinking about that innocent bit of affection Sakura just gave him. A part of him wanted more, and he listened, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her close. As her emerald eyes looked up at him curiously, he smirked and left an innocent kiss of his own on her lips. "Good night, Sakura. Sweet dreams," he said, burying his head in the small crook of her neck. She blushed profusely, but eventually relaxed, thanks to some comforting (and teasing) words from her inner, and closed her eyes to sleep.

_'Maybe I do like him...no, maybe...love him.'_

_'Her hair smells good. I'm going to miss this scent. Yeah, I love her.'_


	10. Look Out Sakura! The Prefix Returns!

Author's Note: The story is nearing its end. A couple more chapters. sigh But I will be making another KabuSaku fic (although one-shot) sometime soon. What can I say, I love this pairing!

Chapter 10: Look Out Sakura! The Prefix Returns!

Kabuto woke up first the next morning, somewhat regrettably. Today was the last day Sakura was going to be there with him. He looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms, her head buried in his neck and one of his legs overlapping hers. He watched as her chest moved with each breath, taking in the peaceful expression she always had on her sleeping face. Inwardly he chuckled at her bedhead pink locks, and his fingers trailed through them. Sakura mewed softly to the motion, and her small hands clutched the fabric of his shirt innocently. She was content and happy, and he knew it as a smile began to form on his lips. Softly he left a kiss on her forehead as he removed his arms from around her. He pulled away, the grip she had on his shirt loosened, and sat up on the bed. He grabbed his glasses and left his hair down, not caring about putting it up in the usual ponytail like he usually did.

Sakura stirred a little, pulling her legs in a little bit and her hands meeting together. He smirked and stood up, deciding to go to the kitchen and make breakfast for them. _'Best make sure it's good,'_ he thought as he closed the door behind him.

Sakura woke up when he came back with the food, her eyes opening to meet his and she smiled. "Good morning, Kabuto," she said softly, sitting up with a yawn.

"Good morning. Best eat well today, Sakura. You leave tonight."

"Yes, I know."

Sakura pulled back the covers and went to her chair by the food. It was simple really: toast, eggs, and a few strips of bacon. Still, it was nice of Kabuto to go through the trouble to make it, and she sent him a thankful smile before she took a bite. He smirked at her and joined in.

As soon as they were done, Sakura preceded to the bathroom to shower and change as Kabuto changed himself. Each, however, were wrapped in their thoughts as they went through their tasks.

_'I wonder if I should tell her. But there's no reason though. As soon as she leaves, more than likely I'm not going to see her again. Gah, Kabuto, you're being such an idiot. You've let yourself become close to her, fallen in love, and are now standing here pondering whether or not to tell her before she leaves and doesn't come back. Oy.'_

_'I really do like him. I mean, I hated it when he got up and left. I really liked being close to him. But...I'm not going to see him again after this. He's not exactly on Konoha's Most Welcomed Ninja list, if we even have one. So what does it matter? But, I do want to tell Kabuto-kun that I like him.'_

_**'Kabuto-kun? Nice!'**_

_'Yeah...I guess that fits well now, huh?'_

_**'I'd say so. And I bet he can't wait to hear it come out for real, Outer.'**_

_'Maybe.'_

As Sakura turned off the water, Kabuto left the room with the dishes to clean them. _'I guess tonight will be a better time than any,'_ their thoughts concluded in unison.

* * *

Kabuto didn't notice it, but there was someone in the shadow of the hall. Someone that waited patiently for the man to turn and continue his walk to the kitchen. Sakura just exited the bathroom, now dressed with her hair in the turban towel, as the door opened.

"I guess you--"

She turned around to meet a different pair of onyx eyes. "Sasuke..." she whispered, dropping her pajamas to the floor. "Hello Sakura. I'm glad to see you're better," he said with a smirk, almost seductive, as he approached her, not before closing the door and nonchalantly locking it. Trying not to cause suspicion, Sakura stood there and allowed him to touch her cheek. "Well, yeah. Did you think I can stay down for too long?" she said with a forced smirk.

"Very true. You're not the same weak girl I knew, that's for sure."

"Thank you for saying so."

His face neared hers, his lips coming close to her own, "Maybe we can continue where we left off the other day. Wouldn't you like that, Sakura?" She blushed and tried to push away, but sadly all that was left for her to meet was a wall, and that was not what she wanted to be against. He closed the distance between them, his lips meeting hers and a hand holding her neck to deepen the action. Her mind screamed for help as her voice could not.

_'Kabuto-kun, where are you!?'_

Sasuke forced her to the floor, his hands now holding hers above her head and his body over hers to prevent her from squirming away. His lips left hers and trailed down her neck to its base, "I love you, Sakura. I know I left you, but I regret it every moment I think about it. Please let me show you." Sakura knew it was all a lie; she continued to squirm. "Stop it, Sasuke! Let me go!" she called out, although it was a useless fight. The Uchiha had his cherry blossom where he wanted her, and now it was time.

Kabuto was on his way back to his room when he sensed something was wrong. Something that got his legs moving faster. _'Sakura...I don't know why, but I think she is in serious trouble. Kami, don't tell me that he's in there with her!'_ his mind raced as he rushed down the hall.

Sasuke caught both wrists in one hand and let his free hand trace down her side until it met her legs. "Sasuke, damn it, stop it! No!" she screamed again as his hand trailed up her thigh.

Kabuto reached the door, trying to open the door to only find it locked. "Sakura! Sakura!" he called, pounding on the door. She screamed again for Sasuke to stop, then heard Kabuto's calls. "Kabuto-kun! Help me!" she called, using what she had of her strength to break away from him. She managed to crawl up onto her feet and unlocked the door, running into Kabuto's arms in fear. "Kabuto-kun!" she called out breathlessly, feeling much safer as his arms wrapped around her shaken form.

_'Kabuto-kun?'_ the two men thought. One was honored, the other angered.

"You were really going to do it? Rape an innocent girl for your own pleasures? You are a sick man, Uchiha. I hope you know that."

"Let go of her. Let go of my Sakura."

"Yours? I think she already made it clear that she doesn't want to be yours."

Sakura began to whimper as Sasuke began to near, and she gripped tightly to Kabuto's shirt. "Stay away from me Sasuke! Don't come near me!" she screamed, tears falling from behind its walls, "I can't believe I ever fell in love with you! If I knew that you changed this much, I would have never agreed to come freely here! I actually thought you wanted me here because you loved me, not because you just want to use me!"

In a quick motion, Sasuke pulled Sakura out of Kabuto's arms and sent a well-aimed punch at the silver hair medic's face. Thank Kami for Kabuto that he was barely obtained harm as Sakura managed to hit a very sensitive place of Sasuke's (which Kabuto had to inwardly smirk at). Not worried about grabbing her bag, Kabuto grabbed her hand and together they ran down the hall to the training field and to their escape route. Sasuke recovered soon after they disappeared and gave chase after them, his Sharigan now active and blazing in anger. 'How dare they. Especially Kabuto. He's going to die for taking away my blossom. And I'll deal with Sakura later tonight, after I get her back,

"Do you remember where we're going?"

"Somewhat. Just keep quiet and keep up, okay?"

"Okay!"

Kabuto turned into the training grounds towards a large tree that was surrounded by bushes and large leaves. "Lower your chakra!" he hissed, and she obeyed. She closed her eyes and gripped tightly to Kabuto's hand as they knelt down, Sasuke's footsteps echoing in her ears. "Where did you two go? Show yourselves! NOW!" Sasuke yelled as he entered the field, his eyes scanning the area. Kabuto covered her mouth with a free hand to prevent her from whimpering. Sasuke moved slowly, Sharigan flaring in his hunt.

"Sakura. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to force myself on you. Please come out. I want to make it up to you. And I won't hurt Kabuto-kun. I promise."

Kabuto looked at her, giving her the warning not to listen. She moved slightly, enough to shift her weight to that she wasn't sitting on her legs. Sadly, that small movement made it easy for Sasuke to find them, and before they knew it, he was over them and had Kabuto held up by his neck.

"Kabuto-kun!"

"I told you not to interfere, Kabuto. Now you die."

Sasuke held a kunai to the man's neck, ready to strike. However, a call and a sudden punch threw Sasuke off and brought Kabuto to the ground choking. "Don't dare hurt Kabuto-kun!" Sakura yelled, huffing slightly and her fist clothed in her chakra-control gloves. _'I'm seriously glad I remembered to put my gloves in this outfit,'_ she thought quickly as she watched Sasuke get up. "You're being a very fiesty girl today, Sakura. You really should stay in your place," he muttered, glaring at her with the Sharigan eyes.

"What, where the weakings are? I'm not in that group anymore, and I'm not going back."

"I meant under me."

"Oh, so you can do away with me however you please? Sorry, but I'm keeping my innocence intact. I'm not about to have some disgusting rapist take it from me."

They both stared at Sakura as she stood tall between them. One was her former love, the other her current, unshared at that. "If you want to fight, then you're going to fight me. And don't think I will hold back because you're my former teammate. Right now, you are nothing but my enemy. So what do you say to that, Uchiha?" she challenged, her fists both gloved and balled, and her stance now taken for her fight.

"Sakura...don't."

"I have to, Kabuto-kun! He needs to know that he just can't use me like he thinks he can! I'm not the same girl I was five years ago, and I won't just sit there and let him take away what doesn't belong to him."

Kabuto watched as the two shinobi faced off. He could see the anger in Sakura's eyes, and was actually very relieved that he wasn't facing off against her now. Sasuke seemed unmoved, his Sharigan still active, but surprised by the fact that the kunoichi was really ready and willing to fight. He smirked, "All right then, Sakura. If you want to fight, then we will. But don't blame me if you die."

"I won't die."


	11. Sasuke And Sakura: A Fight To Escape!

Author's Note: I'm sorry if the fight scene's lame. I'm not good at these things, but I had to do it. XD This is going to be a small chapter though; basically just the fight.

Chapter 11: Sasuke And Sakura: A Fight To Escape

Kabuto could only watch as the two shinobi faced off. He stood up and readied himself to fight beside her, but a hand stopped him. "No. Don't interfere. This is our battle. Sasuke's and mine," she said sternly, making the man freeze. Sasuke smirked, his eyes closed. "That's the smartest thing you've done yet, Kabuto," he said. Sakura smirked herself and planted a punch to his face. "Don't close your eyes to the enemy," she said coldly as he recovered.

The battle continued on. Kabuto could only watch as Sasuke began to get the advantage over the tiring Sakura. Anger boiled inside; he wanted to fight and protect her, but he knew that it wasn't smart to go against her wish.

He heard her scream and his attention went quickly to her. A kunai was in her arm, Sasuke's free hand against her neck. "I could easily kill you, Sakura, but I'll satisfy myself with that. Now are you willing to be a good girl?" he asked smugly. Despite her cringing pain, Sakura spat in his face and kicked him off of her. "I'm not finished yet, Uchiha," she said with a cough, pulling the kunai out from her arm and quickly went to heal herself. Her gloves became coated in her blood, but within a few moments the bleeding was stopped and a scar was all that was left; she would close it more later.

"Sakura!"

"I'm fine Kabuto-kun!"

Sasuke was coming at her again, but Sakura was ready, jumping and using his back as a springboard of sorts. She smirked slightly at the contact; for once Sakura decided she wanted to be a cold-hearted bitch to him, uncaring like he always was to her. She stood behind him, a hand on her hip, "How does it feel, Sasuke? To have someone that was once so loyal to you becoming the one that wants to kill you?" She wasn't fully telling the truth, the men could tell; she didn't want to kill him, rather show him the pain he caused her the past five years and prove to Sasuke that the pain made her stronger overall.

"You won't kill me. You may be stronger, but your heart still has that soft spot. That's still your weakness."

Sakura smirked, "You're right, yet you're wrong. I don't want to kill you." She began to form an assortment of hand signs. A rush of cherry blossoms rushed around her like a veil. "But my heart isn't my weakness; it's my greatest strength," she finished, using the wall for her sneak attack. Sasuke couldn't sense her chakra behind the blossoms, and didn't see the chakra-infused kunai coming straight at him. He managed to avoid most of them, one still landing in his back. The veil disappeared, leaving Sakura standing there with a chakra string around her finger. She pulled it, removing the kunai from his back and coming back to her hand. "The old love I had for you made me stronger. I wanted to impress you, make you fall in love me. But I knew that was useless and gave up on it. Then Naruto and the others that were so determined to bring you back gave me extra strength, pushing me forward," she said, approaching him.

Sasuke laid on the ground, on his back slightly with the wound bleeding and staining the dirt. He could only glare at her as she knelt down beside him and resting a gentle hand on his cheek. "Am I annoying now? Am I stronger? Aren't you glad to see I'm not in your shadow anymore?" she said calmly, a small smile on her face. The men stared at her in slight disbelief. Despite her cold attitude she was displaying, she still smiled at him as if he was still one of her best friends. She stood up and turned back to Kabuto. "Let's get out of here. I'm really tired now," she said. Kabuto nodded, and began to turn around to lead her to the escape route.

"You are stronger. No longer annoying. But still," Sasuke said with a mutter, "But you're still not good enough."

A sharp pain came to Sakura's neck, making her scream and fall to the ground. Neither noticed, but Sasuke had a chakra string connected to her, pulling it to reveal a small pinprick point where it was. "Sakura!" Kabuto called out, rushing towards her. Sakura moaned, unable to move her arm to try and heal whatever wound was there.

"Your chakra is going to keep draining until you have little left. It won't kill you, but will weaken you. At that point you'll be mine, Sakura," he said, slowly approaching the girl, who had slipped into unconsciousness. Kabuto stood between them, "Stay away from her." The Uchiha scoffed, deactivating his Sharigan due to lack of chakra. "What do you plan to do about it? You're about as pathetic as her," he said.

Kabuto formed a few hand signs, "Actually, you're the pathetic one compared to her."

Suddenly Sasuke felt sleepy. He wanted to activate his Sharigan, but failed. "Genjutsu. How dare you," he said before slipping into slumber. _'Hn. That should keep him down for several hours. Enough time to get Sakura back to Konoha,'_ he thought, lifting the girl in his arms and carrying her to the entrance of the escape route.


	12. Back In Konoha: A Promise To Return

Author's Note: This is going to be another small chapter, but it's the second to last chapter. But it's going to end on a good note though!

Chapter 12: Back In Konoha: A Promise To Return

By the time darkness was starting to settle, Kabuto and Sakura were halfway to Konoha. He managed to heal the wounds that she had obtained in her fight with Sasuke, but she was still very tired, no help from the chakra string, leaving him to carry her on his back. However, they decided to stop for a few minutes in a small village that was on their path. By that point, luckily, Sakura was awake.

"Sakura, are you feeling better?"

"A bit. I'm still kinda tired. My chakra hasn't came back really yet."

"I know. Well, for now, let's get something to eat. It would be a good thing to take off our headbands so we just look like bystanders."

Sakura nodded, taking off her headband and hiding it in the shuriken pouch that was attached to her outer skirt. Kabuto hid his in his own pouch and gently took Sakura's hand in his and they walked into the village together, looking for the nearest place to eat.

* * *

It was almost 10:00 when they arrived outside the Konoha gates. At that point, Sakura remembered something that was important: she left the key to her home back in Sound. "And knowing Ino, she's sleeping over at Shikamaru's, as usual whenever I'm gone," she muttered, hitting her head with her palm. Kabuto cursed himself, brushing a hand through his hair. "Well, got anywhere else to go?" he asked.

"Yes...Naruto-chan. He always has his window open for me, since I tend to come and visit on nights when I'm really alone. Just I'll have to explain why you're there too. But I'm sure he'll understand, if he doesn't try to kill you first."

"Lovely," the man muttered, "Well, let's get going. We'll go the same way we left, then you have to lead the way to Naruto." Sakura nodded, following him as they entered into the village.

Once inside, luckily no one was on the streets, and it was a clear path to Naruto's little apartment. As she thought, the window was unlocked as always, allowing her to slip in. Gently and quietly, she entered in first, Kabuto following, beginning to look for the blonde shinobi. "Naruto?" Sakura whispered, taking tip-toe steps to his room. She found him asleep, sideways and almost falling off the bed (which almost made Kabuto bust up into laughter), and she silently approached. "Naruto? Naruto, wake up? It's Sakura," she whispered, shaking him. He groaned and opened his eyes to meet hers. "Mmm...Sakura-chan? You're back from your vacation? That was kinda short," he said with a yawn as he sat up. His eyes noticed the figure behind her, and took defensive action as soon as he recognized him. "Kabuto! What the hell are you doing here?" he yelled, pulling Sakura's arm to move her away from him.

"No, Naruto! It's all right! Kabuto-kun's good!"

"He's – wait, Kabuto-kun!? Sakura-chan, what's going on here?"

Kabuto sighed, his hand going through his hair again, "Well, if you don't keep shouting and freaking out, perhaps we'll be able to tell you." Naruto glared at him, then motioned for Sakura to sit down beside him. "Okay, I'm calming down now. What's going on?" he said with a deep breath. Sakura took in one of her own before she opened her mouth to speak.

* * *

"That bastard...what the fuck? How could he even _think_ about raping you?"

"I mean nothing to him other than that. Sadly, the years with Orochimaru poisoned his mind. I'm actually very glad Kabuto-kun didn't turn out that bad."

"I'm not fueled by goals like killing my brother or restoring my clan."

"True," Naruto muttered, sighing, "You may have betrayed our village, but I'm glad that you brought Sakura-chan back. I'll give you thanks for that." Kabuto smirked, pushing up his glasses. "Hn. Well, remember that I didn't do it for you or the damn village, but for her," he said, his eyes meeting Sakura's, who was currently smiling. His expression was serious, "I have to go back though. Besides the fact that I have to get your bag, but I know I have to face Orochimaru."

Sakura's expression faltered, changing into one of worry. As Kabuto turned to go back to the window, Sakura stood up and grabbed his hand in hers, "Kabuto-kun." He turned around to face her, tears starting to brim her emerald eyes. He smiled slightly, placing a hand on her cheek and his lips neared her ear.

"I'll be back. I promise. I don't plan to stay for much longer."

"But...Kabuto-kun..."

"I will."

His lips met hers in a chaste kiss, with a whisper following. "I love you," was all he said before disappearing out the window.

"Kabuto-kun..." Sakura whispered, a finger going to her lips and a small blush on her cheeks. Naruto placed his hands behind his head, ignoring the fact he just saw that bit of affection. "Well, come on. Let's get you washed up and whatnot. Lucky for you, you left one of your outfits over here the last time you came. Then let's get to bed," he said.


	13. Welcome Home

Author's Note: I'd like to take this time to thank the readers and reviewers for their interest in my story. And now, I give you the final chapter of Unexpected.

Chapter 13: Welcome Home

Sasuke waited "patiently" in Kabuto's room, staring at the drawing pad that he pulled out from Sakura's bag. He continued to stare at its contents, taking in every detail. He could tell that she had this for a long time, as some of the drawings dated back to shortly after his betrayal. For some odd reason, the nostalgia struck him with a feeling of guilt, guilt for what he had tried to do.

_'Hn...To think I was going to take away that innocence,'_ he thought, his eyes darting to the katana that he tossed on the floor. It was covered in blood. _'I won't get her back. But at least, after everything is said and done, I can still go back and start over our friendship. Same with the dobe,'_ he added.

He looked up to see Kabuto standing in the doorway, staring at him, then to the drawing pad, and finally the katana. "I see you've returned. Don't bother going to Orochimaru; he's already been taken care of," he said coldly, dropping the pad on the bed.

"You...killed him."

"Yep."

He stood up, "But I guess you'll be going back. Apparently Sakura had found someone else to fall in love with instead of me." Kabuto didn't move; he was still stunned by the fact that Orochimaru was dead. "Don't focus on him. Focus on going back to Sakura. Myself, I have a goal to follow, then I shall return to Konoha," Sasuke muttered, approaching the man.

Kabuto glared up at him. Sasuke smirked, a hand on his shoulder. "If I find out you hurt her, however, I will kill you without a second thought. This is my only warning to you," he said, his voice hard, then walked past him. Kabuto could only watch his figure retreat, the katana still on the floor.

* * *

"Thank you Naruto-chan, for letting me stay here for a couple of days. I don't want everyone knowing I'm back just yet," Sakura said as she took a bite of her ramen. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry, Sakura-chan; you know I won't tell anyone. But when are you going to come back out?"

"When Kabuto-kun comes back."

"Sakura-chan...Tsunade baa-chan's going to sentence him to death as soon as he's discovered. He's just as much a criminal as Orochimaru."

"I know, but I'm going to try my best to convince her not to. I have to. I love him."

Naruto sighed, "You have a strange heart, Sakura-chan. Falling in love with the bad boys." Sakura laughed slightly, "Maybe. But I guess they are the ones that capture my heart first."

The night dulled on, made better by quiet conversation and a random movie that Sakura picked out from the collection, however limited, Naruto had. _'I need to buy him something else other than horror movies,'_ she said with an inward sigh.

Naruto yawned near the end of the movie, "Well, I'm off to bed. I'm pretty darn tired. Kakashi-sensei decided he wanted to spar with me today, and it really took a toll." Sakura chuckled, "All right. Night Naruto-chan."

"Night Sakura-chan. I love you."

"Love you too."

After Naruto disappeared to his room, Sakura changed into the pajamas that Naruto let him borrow (_'It's no replacement for Kabuto-kun's shirt though,'_ she commented), and pulled out the couch bed that she always slept on whenever she was over. She settled on the mattress, closing her eyes and lost herself into thought.

_'Do you think he's all right?'_

_**'I'm sure he is. I mean, he said he's going to come back.'**_

_'I know that. But still...with Sasuke...'_

_**'Look, don't worry, okay? I know he's fine, and that he's going to come back to you.'**_

_'Yeah...thank you Inner.'_

_**'Of course! Shannaro!'**_

Sakura chuckled as she rolled herself up into a ball and began to fall asleep on top of the blankets.

* * *

It was around midnight when Sakura woke up to a noise. She rose with a startled look, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of intrusion. "Naruto-chan? Is that you?" she whispered, getting up from the bed. She felt the breeze from an open window, the one that was always unlocked, and it attracted her attention.

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist, making her breath catch. "Hello, Sakura," came a whisper against her neck, a nose nuzzling against its base. Sakura closed her eyes and smiled.

"Welcome home, Kabuto-kun."


End file.
